Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on House Passage of the American Dream and Promise Act
March 18, 2021

​“We applaud the House for approving the American Dream and Promise Act, which would enact long-needed permanent protections for Dreamers, those bright and talented young individuals brought to this country as children. This legislation would allow Dreamers to earn lawful permanent residence in the United States and provide a pathway to citizenship in the only country these outstanding young people—who have overcome many barriers to contribute to our nation’s cultural and intellectual vibrancy, economy, and security—have ever known.

Dreamers are our colleagues and friends. They work and pay taxes, serve in the military, attend college, and many have been on the front lines battling COVID-19. There is bipartisan and widespread support on Capitol Hill and Main Street for enacting into law these permanent legal protections. But for far too long, and through unsuccessful attempts by the previous administration to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Dreamers have been held in an unacceptable legal and political limbo. They have been protected by the courts, but now it is time for Congress to act.

This bill also appropriately extends protections to immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) whose status has been terminated. Many of our institutions also have students and employees who have lived, worked, and studied while under TPS, and we support the protections for TPS in this legislation.

We urge the Senate to now take up and swiftly approve this or similar legislation, such as the bipartisan Senate Dream Act of 2021 introduced recently by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to provide permanent protections for Dreamers, and send a final bill to the White House for President Biden’s signature. The time is now. There is no more time to waste.”

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